Music Director Ravi - R.I.P.

This morning, I learned about the passing of octogenarian Music Director Ravi today via Vividh Bharati. True to its moniker of vidhva bharati (bestowed by a hostelmate of mine a quarter century ago), the station is playing tear jerkers all morning (night in India) long. I would rather celebrate Ravi's life. Here are some of my favouirite songs composed by Ravi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJqkdDo3OrE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4iqCY8ChWs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2EznrCj7kU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoHFPA90hqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5_FgMM_sk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1l52x3wXYw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVxCAwqONcI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBVccX9dSkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avx1Rij2bkI

For a more exhaustive – but still by no means complete – list of songs by Ravi, please go to <a href="http://www.giitaayan.com/search.asp?s=Ravi&amp;browse=Music">giitaayan</a>.

Aaah! vividh bharati!!

Thanks to a friend on FB, I have been able to tune in to <a href="http://www.voicevibes.net">vividh bharati</a> after quite a while. The songs played on that station are still similar to those that used to be played three decades ago. After a week of intense catching up listening :-), I have rediscovered a few old favourites that I had forgotten.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgfqlWhP43Q">नींद कभी रहती थी</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTNR9rhHoqM">यूँ ही दिल ने चाहा था</a>

Not only that, I rediscovered a few songs of somewhat dubious quality (hidden among some more gems) as well. These songs I like - without prejudice against the dubious ones - as they remind me of India of that time, an era when I used to be glued to the SLBC while studying for the plethora of entrance examinations right after Class 12th. Without much ado, here they are, good ones interspersed with the couple of dubious ones. I won't say which I consider dubious - YMMV! ;-)

<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlmmnb_laila-tu-jo-kahe-to-radha-banoon-re-tu-jo-kahe-lata-mangeshkar_fun">तू जो कहे तो राधा बनूँ रे</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5mRql46SC8">गंगा तोहरे घाट पे</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6cmpgWgKDU">और नहीं बस तुम से कहना, जीवन साथी</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF0MS3Pruos">मैं ने ये फ़ैसला कर लिया है</a>

A tale of a toenail ... and other related items

I have had a ingrown toe-nail removed. The growth in itself was not all that painful, though it hurt once in a while. But now that it is out, the bandage and related aftercare has resulted in a blister that hurts. While wondering about what ointment to put to relieve the blister, I thought of what I would have used, had I been in India right now - Burnol, of course. So, I googled it to see what it's active ingredient is, so I could get a similar local balm - it appears that <a href="http://marketingpractice.blogspot.com/2006/11/burnol-burn-specialist.html">Burnol</a> does not carry the influence in India that it once did. What had been brilliantly marketed as a burn salve was re-marketed as a general antiseptic, and that strategy failed to take-off.

While checking out other posts in the blog referred to above, my attention was drawn to a link about Gold Spot. I am (was?) a Fanta kid. When it suddenly out of the market along with the rest of the Coca Cola products, thanks to the Janata Party, I wondered where it went. <a href="http://marketingpractice.blogspot.com/2007/04/gold-spot-zing-thing-rip-1977-1993.html">Gold Spot</a> took some getting used to, but get used to it I did after a while. Now, sadly, it has gone out of the market also and Fanta is back. But, Fanta is nothing like what it was before, at least in the Indian marketplace. What is ironic is that by kicking Coca Cola out of India back in the 1970s, Janata Party seems to have ensured that at least some of the Coca Cola products won't carry the same reach they carried before (or maybe I am wrong, and I was part of the 49% - as opposed to the 51% - back then). But either way, it is sad that Gold Spot is gone for good. Hopefully, some entrepreneur can buy the franchise/brand back from Coca Cola and get it re-started.